Barberry plant named ‘Helen’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Barberry  plant named ‘Helen’, characterized by its upright and outwardly spreading to arching plant habit; vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; leaves that are dark purple to dark brown in color numerous pale yellow-colored flowers; good garden performance; and resistance to Black Stem Rust.

Botanical designation: Berberis thunbergii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘HELEN’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Barberryplant, botanically known as Berberis thunbergii and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Helen’.

The new Barberry plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Grand Haven, Mich. The objective of thebreeding program was to develop new unique Barberry plants withattractive foliage, improved stress tolerance and resistance to BlackStem Rust (Puccinia graminis).

The new Barberry plant originated from an open-pollination in June, 2003of Barberry thunbergii ‘Concorde’, not patented, as the female, or seedparent and an unknown selection of Barberry thunbergii as the male, orpollen, parent. The new Barberry plant was discovered and selected bythe Inventor during the summer of 2006 as a single plant within theprogeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment inGrand Haven, Mich.

Asexual reproduction of the new Barberry plant by softwood cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Grand Haven, Mich. since the summerof 2006 has shown that the unique features of this new Barberry plantare stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations ofasexual reproduction.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Barberry have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may varysomewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperatureand light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Helen’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Helen’ as a new and distinct Barberry plant:

-   -   1. Upright and outwardly spreading to arching plant habit.    -   2. Vigorous growth habit.    -   3. Freely branching habit.    -   4. Leaves that are dark purple to dark brown in color.    -   5. Numerous pale yellow-colored flowers.    -   6. Good garden performance.    -   7. Resistance to Black Stem Rust.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the femaleparent, ‘Concorde’. Plants of the new Barberry differ from plants of‘Concorde’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry are larger than plants of        ‘Concorde’.    -   2. Plants of the new Barberry grow faster than plants of        ‘Concorde’.    -   3. Plants of the new Barberry have healthier and more durable        leaves than plants of ‘Concorde’.

Plants of the new Barberry can be compared to plants of the Berberisthunbergii ‘Atropurpurea’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Barberry differedfrom plants of ‘Atropurpurea’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Barberry grow more uniformly than plants of        ‘Atropurpurea’.    -   2. Leaves of plants of the new Barberry were more red in color        than leaves of plants of ‘Atropurpurea’.    -   3. Plants of the new Barberry were resistant to Black Stem Rust        whereas plants of ‘Atropurpurea’ were not resistant to Black        Stem Rust.

Plants of the new Barberry can also be compared to plants of theBerberis thunbergii ‘Rose Glow’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Grand Haven, Mich., plants of the new Barberrydiffered primarily from plants of ‘Rose Glow’ in leaf color as plants of‘Rose Glow’ had bright red and pink variegated leaves.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Barberry plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Barberry plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of atypical plant of ‘Helen’ grown in an outdoor nursery.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical plantof ‘Helen’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurementsand values describe plants grown during the spring and summer in anoutdoor nursery in Grand Haven, Mich. and under cultural practices whichclosely approximate commercial production. Plants used for thephotographs were two years old and plants used for the description werefour years old. In the following detailed description, color referencesare made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition,except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Berberis thunbergii ‘Helen’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Barberry thunbergii ‘Concorde’, not            patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Barberry            thunbergii, not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By softwood cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 70 days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About one year            at 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine to medium; somewhat fleshy and            fibrous; yellow in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial shrub; upright and            outwardly spreading to arching plant habit; rapid growth            rate and vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit with            about 47 lateral branches developing per plant.        -   Plant height.—About 84 cm.        -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 84 cm.-   Lateral branch description:    -   -   Length.—About 15 cm.        -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.        -   Internode length.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Aspect.—Erect to about 30° from vertical to arching.        -   Strength.—Strong.        -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Color.—Close to 185A.        -   Thorns.—Quantity: About one thorn develops at each node.            Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 1 mm. Color: Close to 164A.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate or whorled; simple.        -   Length.—About 2 cm.        -   Width.—About 1 cm.        -   Shape.—Roughly spatulate.        -   Apex.—Acute, mucronate.        -   Base.—Attenuate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            178B. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Between 187A and            200A; venation, close to 187A; plants maintain dark purple            to dark brown coloration during the autumn. Fully expanded            leaves, lower surface: Close to 187B; venation, close to            187B.        -   Petiole.—Length: About 5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper and            lower surfaces: Close to 187A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Flower type and habit.—Rotate flowers arranged in axillary            racemes; flowers drooping; freely flowering habit with about            two to six flowers per inflorescence and about ten to 40            flowers per lateral branch.        -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower continuously from            mid to late May in Grand Haven, Mich.        -   Flower longevity.—Flowers last about two to three weeks on            the plant; flowers not persistent.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flower buds.—Height: About 2 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.            Shape: Globose. Color: Close to 140B.        -   Inflorescence height.—About 1.3 cm.        -   Inflorescence width.—About 1.5 cm.        -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.        -   Flower depth.—About 6 mm.        -   Petals.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: Six in a single            whorl. Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Shape: Broadly            ovate. Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 11B.            Fully expanded petals, upper and lower surfaces: Close to            11C; color becoming closer to 11D with development.        -   Sepals.—Quantity per flower and arrangement: Six in a single            whorl. Length: About 4 mm. Width: About 3 mm. Shape: Ovate.            Apex: Broadly acute to obtuse. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.            Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:            Developing sepals, upper surface: Close to 11B. Developing            sepals, lower surface: Close to 11B tinged with close to            60A. Fully expanded sepals, upper surface: Close to 11C.            Fully expanded sepals, lower surface: Close to 11C tinged            with close to 60C.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.            Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 60C.        -   Pedicels.—Length: About 4 mm. Diameter: About 1 mm.            Strength: Strong. Color: Close to 60C.        -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Six.            Anther shape: Two-valved. Anther length: About 1.5 mm.            Anther color: Close to 11A to 11B. Pollen amount: Scarce.            Pollen color: Close to 11A to 11B. Pistils: Quantity per            flower: One. Pistil length: About 3 mm. Stigma shape:            Flattened disc. Stigma color: Close to 143C to 143D. Style            length: About 2.5 mm. Style color: Close to 143C to 143D.            Ovary color: Close to 143C.        -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been            observed on plants of the new Barberry plant.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Barberry have been observed to    have excellent garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and    temperatures ranging from about −30° C. to about 32° C.-   Pathogen & pest resistance: Plants of the new Barberry have been    observed to be resistant to Black Stem Rust (Puccinia graminis).    Plants of the new Barberry have not been shown to be resistant to    pests and other pathogens common to Barberry plants.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Barberry plant named ‘Helen’ asillustrated and described.